Water Heater with an Integrated Leak Detection System

ABSTRACT

A water heater includes a tank assembly that defines an insulation cavity between an inner storage tank and an outer jacket. The water heater includes a bottom pad that supports the tank assembly thereon. The bottom pad is disposed in a bottom pan. Gaskets are disposed between the bottom pad and the bottom pan of the water heater. The bottom pad and at least one of the gaskets include apertures that are configured to internally route a leak sensor assembly of the water heater from the bottom pan to a controller of the water heater through the insulation cavity while preventing a leak of insulation material from the insulation cavity to the bottom pan. The water heater also includes a mounting bracket that is coupled to the inner storage tank to securely hold and route a portion of the leak sensor assembly disposed in the insulation cavity to the controller.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to water heaters, and moreparticularly to a water heater with an integrated leak detection system.

BACKGROUND

A water heater may be subject to deterioration over the course of itslife. Such deterioration may compromise the integrity of the waterheater and may cause water that is stored in a storage tank of the waterheater to leak. For example, the water may leak from the storage tankand eventually pool at the base of the water heater. If left undetectedand unattended, such leaks may result in damage to furniture, electricalequipment, the water heater itself, and/or other property which mayresult in costly repairs. Further, these leaks can create a hazardousworking environment for persons near the leak.

Existing water heaters may include a leak detection system that isconfigured to detect a leak condition, i.e., a water leak from the waterheater. However, the leak detection system is typically provided as aseparate accessory that a user installs on site. If the user fails toinstall the leak detection system or installs the leak detection systemincorrectly, the leak sensing functionality of the water heater isnegated. Further, in existing water heaters leak detection systems maybe routed externally which makes the leak detection system vulnerable tobeing tampered with or to being inadvertently disabled and therebynegating the leak sensing functionality of the water heater.Furthermore, in existing water heaters, the leak detection systems arenot easily replaceable.

This background information is provided to reveal information believedto be of possible relevance to the present disclosure. No admission isnecessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the precedinginformation constitutes prior art against the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a water heater. Thewater heater includes a tank assembly. The tank assembly includes aninner storage tank, and an outer jacket that is disposed peripherallyaround the inner storage tank. The outer jacked is disposed such that aninsulation cavity is defined between the inner storage tank and theouter jacket. Further, the water heater includes a bottom pan disposedbelow the tank assembly such that the bottom pan serves as a base of thewater heater. Furthermore, the water heater includes a bottom pad thatis disposed between the tank assembly and the bottom pan. The bottom padcreates a seal that prevents leaking of an insulation material from theinsulation cavity to the bottom pan. The bottom pad comprises anaperture that is configured to internally route a leak sensor assemblyof the water heater from the bottom pan, through the insulation cavity,and to a controller of the water heater.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a water heater. Thewater heater includes a tank assembly. The tank assembly includes aninner storage tank, and an outer jacket that is disposed peripherallyaround the inner storage tank such that an insulation cavity is definedbetween the inner storage tank and the outer jacket. Further, the waterheater includes a bottom end assembly that defines a base of the waterheater. The bottom end assembly includes a bottom pan disposed below thetank assembly, and a bottom pad that is disposed between the tankassembly and the bottom pan. The bottom pad creates a seal that preventsleaking of an insulation material from the insulation cavity to thebottom pan and comprises an aperture that is configured to internallyroute a leak sensor assembly of the water heater from the bottom pan toa controller of the water heater through the insulation cavity of thewater heater. Furthermore, the water heater includes a mounting bracketthat is coupled to the inner storage tank and configured to securelyhold and route a portion of the leak sensor assembly that is disposed inthe insulation cavity towards the controller of the water heater.

These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments, will beapparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present disclosureare best understood with reference to the following description ofcertain example embodiments, when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of an example integrated leakdetection system that is disposed in a bottom end assembly of a waterheater, in accordance with example embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the example integratedleak detection system disposed in the bottom end assembly with thebottom pan having been removed therefrom to illustrate a bottom surfaceof a bottom pad of the bottom end assembly, in accordance with exampleembodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates an explodedview of the example integrated leak detection system disposed in thebottom end assembly with the bottom pan having been removed therefrom,in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section view of the example integrated leakdetection system disposed in the bottom end assembly, in accordance withexample embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates the example water heater comprising a mountingbracket disposed therein along with the leak detection system and bottomend assembly of FIG. 1, in accordance with example embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of a bottom portion of the waterheater with the outer jacket being removed therefrom to illustrate themounting bracket, in accordance with example embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates the mounting bracket that is coupled to the innerstorage tank of the example water heater, in accordance with exampleembodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 illustrates the mountingbracket of FIG. 7 without the protective cover coupled to the mountingbracket, in accordance with example embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom portion of the inner storage tank of thewater heater with the mounting bracket having been removed therefrom toillustrate the thermistor and the element bracket to which the mountingbracket is coupled, in accordance with example embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate different perspective views of the mountingbracket, in accordance with example embodiments of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross section view of the example water heater, inaccordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure.

The drawings illustrate only example embodiments of the presentdisclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope,as the present disclosure may admit to other equally effectiveembodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis is instead placed on clearly illustratingthe principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certaindimensions or positions may be exaggerated to help visually convey suchprinciples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes a water heater with an integrated leakdetection system. In certain example embodiments, the integrated leakdetection system includes a leak sensor assembly that is internallyrouted from a bottom pan of the water heater to a controller of thewater heater through an insulation cavity of the water heater. In saidexample embodiment, the internal routing minimizes inadvertentdisablement or tampering of the leak detection system, thereby improvingsafety of the water heater. Further, in said example embodiment, theleak sensor assembly is integrated with the water heater. Such anintegration ensures that the leak detection system is installed when thewater heater leaves the manufacturing facility and remains connected tothe water heater by default which minimizes the possibility that a userwould fail to install the leak sensor on-site. In certain exampleembodiments, the water heater also includes a mounting bracket that isconfigured to support and route the leak sensor assembly to thecontroller in the insulation cavity, provide a place to couple aprotective cover for the terminals of the heating element thereto, andhold a thermistor against an inner storage tank of the water heater. Insaid example embodiments, the mounting bracket enables easy assembly ofthe water heater and also aids to minimize the number of components inthe water heater, thereby making the water heater cost efficient.Furthermore, the leak sensor assembly is configured to allow easyreplacement of the leak sensor when needed.

In one example, the integrated leak detection system includes a leaksensor assembly. One end of the leak sensor assembly is disposed in abottom pan of the water heater and an opposite end of the leak sensorassembly is coupled to a controller of the water heater. The end of theleak sensor assembly that is disposed in the bottom pan extends along aperimeter of the bottom pan to create a circumferential area of leakdetection around the water heater. The controller is configured tocontrol an operation of the water heater based on input received fromthe leak sensor assembly. The leak sensor assembly is routed from thebottom pan to the controller through an insulation cavity formed betweenan inner storage tank and an outer jacket of a tank assembly of thewater heater. The leak sensor assembly is routed internally via a bottomend assembly that includes a bottom pad and gaskets that are disposedbetween the bottom pan and a bottom end of the tank assembly. The bottompad is configured to prevent insulation foam (liquid) from leaking fromthe insulation cavity to the bottom pan, while allowing the leak sensorassembly to be routed therethrough to the insulation cavity. The waterheater also includes a mounting bracket that is coupled to the innerstorage tank and disposed in the insulation cavity. The mounting brackethas features to support and manage the routing of the leak sensorassembly to the controller through the insulation cavity. The mountingbracket also has features to support the mounting of a protective coverthat extends over the terminals of a heating element of the waterheater. The mounting bracket additionally includes features to securelyretain a thermistor in contact with or against the inner storage tank ofthe water heater.

Example embodiments of the water heater with the integrated leakdetection system will be described more fully hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawings that describe representative embodiments ofthe present technology. If a component of a figure is described but notexpressly shown or labeled in that figure, the label used for acorresponding component in another figure can be inferred to thatcomponent. Conversely, if a component in a figure is labeled but notdescribed, the description for such component can be substantially thesame as the description for a corresponding component in another figure.Further, a statement that a particular embodiment (e.g., as shown in afigure herein) does not have a particular feature or component does notmean, unless expressly stated, that such embodiment is not capable ofhaving such feature or component. For example, for purposes of presentor future claims herein, a feature or component that is described as notbeing included in an example embodiment shown in one or more particulardrawings is capable of being included in one or more claims thatcorrespond to such one or more particular drawings herein.

The technology of the water heater with the integrated leak detectionsystem may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey the scope of the technology to thoseappropriately skilled in the art. Further, example embodiments of thepresent disclosure can be used for any size (e.g., capacity) of waterheater. Furthermore, example embodiments of the present disclosure canbe located in any type of environment (e.g., warehouse, attic, garage,storage, mechanical room, basement) for any type (e.g., commercial,residential, industrial) of user. Water heaters used with exampleembodiments can include both electric and/or fuel fired water heatersthat can be used for one or more of any number of processes (e.g.,automatic clothes washers, automatic dishwashers, showers, sink faucets,heating systems, humidifiers).

Water heaters (or components thereof, including controllers) describedherein can be made of one or more of a number of suitable materials toallow that device and/or other associated components of a system to meetcertain standards and/or regulations while also maintaining durabilityin light of the one or more conditions under which the devices and/orother associated components of the system can be exposed. Examples ofsuch materials can include, but are not limited to, aluminum, stainlesssteel, copper, fiberglass, glass, plastic, PVC, ceramic, and rubber.

Further, components of the water heater and/or the integrated leakdetection system (or portions thereof) described herein can be made froma single piece (as from a mold, injection mold, die cast, or extrusionprocess). In addition, or in the alternative, components of the waterheater and/or the integrated leak detection system (or portions thereof)can be made from multiple pieces that are mechanically coupled to eachother. In such a case, the multiple pieces can be mechanically coupledto each other using one or more of a number of coupling methods,including but not limited to epoxy, welding, soldering, fasteningdevices, compression fittings, mating threads, and slotted fittings. Oneor more pieces that are mechanically coupled to each other can becoupled to each other in one or more of a number of ways, including butnot limited to fixedly, hingedly, removeably, slidably, and threadably.

Terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, and“within” are used merely to distinguish one component (or part of acomponent or state of a component) from another. Such terms are notmeant to denote a preference or a particular orientation and are notmeant to limit embodiments of water heaters with integrated leakdetection systems. In the following detailed description of the exampleembodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea more thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, itwill be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the integratedleak detection systems of the present disclosure may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-known featureshave not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicatingthe description.

Turning now to the figures, example embodiments of a water heater withthe integrated leak detection system will be described in associationwith FIGS. 1-12. FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an example integrated leakdetection system that is internally routed from the bottom pan to thecontroller through the insulation cavity via a bottom end assembly ofthe water heater; and FIGS. 6-11 illustrate the mounting bracket of thewater heater that supports and routes a leak sensor assembly of the leakdetection system within the insulation cavity.

Referring to FIGS. 1-12, a water heater 500 (illustrated in FIG. 5) mayinclude a tank assembly 501 and a bottom end assembly 160 (illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 5) that is disposed below the tank assembly 501. Thebottom end assembly 160 may form a base of the water heater 500. Thetank assembly 501 may include an inner storage tank 601 (illustrated inFIG. 6) that is configured to store water that is to be heated by thewater heater 500. The tank assembly 501 may further include an outerjacket 503 that peripherally surrounds the inner storage tank 601 suchthat an annular insulation cavity 1201 is formed between the innerstorage tank 601 and the outer jacket 503. The outer jacket 503 may belarger in diameter than the inner storage tank 601. The insulationcavity 1201 may extend from a top end 1202 (illustrated in FIG. 12) to abottom end 1203 of the inner storage tank 601. In certain exampleembodiments, the inner storage tank 601 and the outer jacket 503 may besubstantially cylindrical in shape. However, in other exampleembodiments, the inner storage tank 601, and the outer jacket 503, andthe insulation cavity 1201 formed between the outer jacket 503 and theinner storage tank 601 may have any other appropriate shape withoutdeparting from a broader scope of the present disclosure.

The bottom end assembly 160 may include a bottom pan 101 (illustrated inFIG. 1 and a bottom pad 102 that is disposed in the bottom pan 101.Further, the bottom end assembly 160 may include a first gasket 302(illustrated in FIG. 3) and second gasket 202 (illustrated in FIGS. 2and 3) that are disposed between (e.g., sandwiched between) the bottompad 102 and the bottom pan 101. In particular, the bottom pad 102, thefirst gasket 302, and the second gasket 202 may be disposed between abottom end 1204 (illustrated in FIG. 12) of the tank assembly 501 andthe bottom pan 101.

In certain example embodiments, the bottom pad 102 may be configured tosupport the inner storage tank 601. As such, in said exampleembodiments, the bottom pad 102 may include a tank retaining slot 103 asillustrated in FIG. 1. The tank retaining slot 103 is configured toreceive and seat a periphery of a bottom end of the inner storage tank601 therein. The tank retaining slot 103 may be configured to centrallyalign the inner storage tank 601 within the bottom end assembly 160.Further, in said example embodiments, the bottom pad 102 may includeplastic inserts 203 (illustrated in FIG. 2) disposed below the tankretaining slot 103. The plastic inserts 203 are spaced 120° apart fromeach other and are configured to support, balance, and securely retainthe inner storage tank thereon. In some example embodiments, the insertsmay be formed using any other appropriate material. Further, in someexample embodiments, fewer or more inserts may be used without departingfrom a broader scope of the present disclosure.

In certain example embodiments, the bottom pad 102 may also support theouter jacket 503 of the tank assembly 501 such that the bottom pad 102creates a seal 401 (illustrated in FIG. 4) between the bottom pan 101and the insulation cavity 1201. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the seal 401may be created between a sidewall 104 of the bottom pan 101 and an outeredge 301 of the bottom pad 102. The seal 401 may be configured toprevent leak of an insulation material from the insulation cavity 1201of the tank assembly 501 to the bottom pan 101, e.g., when insulationmaterial (liquid) is injected in between the inner storage tank 601 andthe outer jacket 503 to rise and fill the insulation cavity 1201.

In certain example embodiments, in addition to creating a seal 401 thatprevents the insulation material from leaking from the insulation cavity1201 to the bottom pan 101, the bottom pad 102 may define a portion of arouting path 350 (illustrated in FIG. 3) that allows a leak sensorassembly 151 of the leak detection system 150 to be routed from thebottom pan 101 to a controller 505 (illustrated in FIG. 5) of the waterheater 500 through the insulation cavity 1201. The portion of therouting path 350 that is defined by the bottom pad 102 may include afirst routing aperture 105 that is formed in the bottom pad 102. Aremainder of the routing path 350 may be defined by a second routingaperture 355 that is formed in a first gasket 302, and a second gasket202. The routing path 350 may be configured to allow at least a portionof the leak sensor assembly 151 to pass therethrough from the bottom pan101 to the insulation cavity 1201, while preventing insulation materialin the insulation cavity 1201 from leaking into the bottom pan 101through the routing path 350. In other words, the routing path 350allows the leak sensor assembly 151 to be internally routed from thebottom pan 101 to the controller 505 through the insulation cavity 1201of the tank assembly 501, while creating a seal that does not allowinsulation material (liquid form) to pass from the insulation cavity1201 to the bottom pan 101.

The first routing aperture 105 of the bottom pad 102 may be formed in arecessed portion 303 of the bottom pad 102. The recessed portion 303 andthe first routing aperture 105 may be positioned within the bottom pad102 such that when the water heater 500 is assembled (e.g., tankassembly 501 disposed on the bottom end assembly 160), the first routingaperture 105 of the bottom pad 102 is aligned with the insulation cavity1201 of the tank assembly 501. In some example embodiments, the firstgasket 302 may be configured to fit within the recessed portion 303 ofthe bottom pad 102. In said example embodiments, the shape of the firstgasket 302 may substantially match the shape of the recessed portion 303of the bottom pad 102. The first gasket 302 may be disposed in therecessed portion 303 of the bottom pad 102 such that the second routingaperture 355 of the first gasket 302 may be axially aligned with thefirst routing aperture 105 of the bottom pad 102. The second routingaperture 355 may be smaller than the first routing aperture 105 toprevent the leak of insulation material from the insulation cavity 1201to the bottom pan 101 through the routing path 350.

Additionally, a second gasket 202 may be disposed below the first gasket302. That is, the first gasket 302 may be attached to the bottom pad 102and the second gasket 202 may be attached to the bottom pan 102. Theshape of the second gasket 202 may or may not be similar to that of thefirst gasket 302. The second gasket 202 may be configured to furtherprevent the leak of insulation material from the insulation cavity 1201to the bottom pan 101 through the routing path 350.

In certain example embodiments, the routing path 350 extends in betweenthe first and second gaskets (202, 302), through the second routingaperture 355 of the first gasket 302, and through the first routingaperture 105 of the bottom pad 102 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thatis, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a leak sensor assembly 151 from thebottom pan 101 may be routed through the routing path 350 in between thefirst and second gaskets (202, 302), through the second routing aperture355 of the first gasket 302, and through the first routing aperture 105of the bottom pad 102 to the insulation cavity 1201 of the tank assembly501.

In addition to the tank assembly 501 and the bottom end assembly 160,the water heater 500 may include the leak detection system 150. The leakdetection system 150 may be configured to detect water (or anyappropriate liquid) that leaks from the water heater 500. For example,the leak detection system 150 may be configured to detect water thatleaks from the inner storage tank 601, the couplings or valve joints ofthe outer jacket 503, etc. As briefly described above, the leakdetection system 150 may include a leak sensor assembly 151. In certainexample embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the leak sensor assembly151 may include a leak sensor 152, a sensor guiding tube 153, and atransport element 154.

In certain example embodiments, the transport element 154 may be formedusing a material that can transport water or any appropriate liquid froma source point, i.e., point at which the water engages the transportelement 154, to a destination point, e.g., point where the leak sensor152 is coupled to the transport element 154. In the example embodimentillustrated in FIG. 3, the transport element 154 may include a tube thatis formed using a wicking material that can transport the water thatleaks from the water heater 500 towards the leak sensor 152. As such,hereinafter, the transport element 154 may be referred to as a wickingtube.

The leak sensor assembly 151 may be arranged such that one end of thesensor guiding tube 153 extends into the wicking tube 154 and the otherend of the sensor guiding tube 153 receives the leak sensor 152 thereinand guides the leak sensor 152 to the wicking tube 154. The leak sensor152 may extend into a portion of the wicking tube 154. The remainderportion of the wicking tube 154 may extend circumferentially around aperimeter of the bottom pan 101. In some example embodiments, the bottompan 101 may have a channel that is formed along the perimeter thereof tohouse the wicking material 154 therein. As best seen in FIG. 1, thechannel may extend between on outer surface 111 and an inner surface 113of the bottom pan 101. That is, the channel may be configured such thata portion of the wicking material 154 may be disposed inside the bottompan 101 while a remainder portion of the wicking material 154 may bedisposed outside the bottom pan 101 to capture both external or internalleaks (e.g., from the outer jacket 503 and the inner storage tank 601)of the water heater 500. However, one of skill in the art can understandand appreciate that in other example embodiments, the bottom pan 101 mayhave any other appropriate type of channel or alternatively may notinclude a dedicated channel for the wicking tube 154. The water thatreaches the wicking tube 154 may be transported by the wicking tube 154to the leak sensor 152 that is coupled to the wicking tube 154.

In contrast to conventional technology that requires numerous leaksensors around the water heater, using the wicking tube 154 to transportwater to the leak sensor 152 provides faster and more comprehensivedetection of leaks around the entire water heater 500. Further, the useof the wicking tube 154 allows the leak sensor 152 to have a smallsensing segment which may be cost effective and may also contributetowards improving the efficiency of the leak detection system since thetime required to dry the leak sensor and reset any alarms may beminimized. However, in some example embodiments, the leak sensorassembly 151 may not include the wicking tube 154. Instead, the leaksensor assembly 151 may include a leak sensor 152 that is long enough toextend circumferentially around the bottom pan 101 and to the controller505 of the water heater 500 without departing from a broader scope ofthe present disclosure.

The sensor guiding tube 153 extends from the bottom pan 101 to theinsulation cavity 1201 through the routing path 350. That is, from thewicking tube 154 in the bottom pan 101, the sensor guiding tube 153extends in between the first and second gaskets (202, 302), and throughthe second routing aperture 355 of the first gasket 302 and the firstrouting aperture 105 of the bottom pad 102 to the insulation cavity 1201of the tank assembly 501. In addition to guiding the leak sensor 152 tothe wicking tube 154, the sensor guiding tube 153 may be configured toshield the leak sensor 152 from the insulation material in theinsulation cavity 1201. Additionally, the sensor guiding tube 153 allowsthe leak sensor 152 to be easily replaced as needed.

In certain example embodiments, the leak sensor 152 may be a rope sensorthat includes: (a) sensing segment 155 comprising metal sensing wiresprotected by a fiber material disposed around the sensing wires, and (b)a connector 156 (e.g., male or female connector) that is coupled to thesensing wires 155 and is disposed at one end of the rope sensor. Inother example embodiments, the leak sensor 152 may include any otherappropriate sensor that is configured to detect any appropriate liquidthat leaks from the water heater 500.

As best seen in FIGS. 6-8, the portion of the leak sensor 152 that isdisposed in the insulation cavity 1201 of the tank assembly 501 may besecurely held and routed to the controller 505 of the water heater 500by a mounting bracket 602. The mounting bracket 602 may be coupled tothe inner storage tank 601 of the water heater 500. In particular, themounting bracket 602 may be removably coupled to an element bracket 603that is disposed around a heating element 604 of the water heater 500.In the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, the heating element604 may be a lower heating element that is disposed at a lower portionof the water heater 500 and the element bracket 603 may be a clip thatdisposed around the heating element such that the arms 615 of the clipextend above the heating element 604. In said example embodiment, themounting bracket 602 may be coupled to or clipped onto the arms 615 ofthe element bracket 603 such that the mounting bracket 602 is installedadjacent to and above the lower heating element 604.

One of skill in the art can understand and appreciate that in otherexample embodiments, the mounting bracket 602 may be coupled to theinner storage tank in any other appropriate manner using any otherappropriate coupling mechanism without departing from a broader scope ofthe present disclosure. Further, in other example embodiments, themounting bracket 602 may be installed above an upper heating element ofthe water heater without departing from a broader scope of the presentdisclosure, e.g., if the controller 505 is disposed above the upperheating element. In certain example embodiments, the water heater mayinclude more than one mounting bracket 602 without departing from abroader scope of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10-11, the mounting bracket 602 may include abase 902 and a pair of sidewalls 904 that extend out in a firstdirection from opposite edges of the base 902. Further, the mountingbracket 602 may include wings 907 that protrude or extend out inopposite directions from the sidewalls 904. The wings 907 may beconfigured to mate with the arms 615 of the element bracket 603 tocouple the mounting bracket 602 to the element bracket 603. For example,the arms 615 of the element bracket 603 may include coupling apertures816 (illustrated in FIG. 8) that are configured to receive a portion ofthe wings 907 therein to couple the mounting bracket 602 to the elementbracket 603. However, as described above, any other appropriate couplingmechanism may be used to couple the mounting bracket 602 to the innerstorage tank 601 and/or the element bracket 603.

One of the sidewalls (904 a or 904 b) may include a hook 908 that isformed therein. The hook 908 may protrude substantially perpendicularlyand out from a respective side wall (904 a or 904 b) as illustrated inFIGS. 9 and 10. The hook 908 may be configured to securely hold androute the portion of the leak sensor 152 that is in the insulationcavity 1201 towards the controller 505 of the water heater 500. Incertain example embodiments, the hook 908 may be shaped such that theleak sensor 152 or any other appropriate conduit can be secured thereto(e.g., snapped therein) such that the leak sensor 152 or otherappropriate conduit is held in a vertical orientation within theinsulation cavity 1201 as the leak sensor 152 or other appropriateconduit is routed to a destination (e.g., controller 505). In otherexample embodiments, the mounting bracket may have any other appropriatesecurement feature that can securely hold and route the leak sensor or avertical conduit to a desired destination such as the controller 505 ofthe water heater 500.

In addition to securely holding and routing the portion of the leaksensor 152 that is in the insulation cavity 1201, the mounting bracket602 also includes features that are configured to hold a thermistor 802against the outer surface of the inner storage tank 601 and to mount anelement protective cover 605 thereto. As such, the base 902 may includea window opening 903 and a first tab feature 905 that extends along aperimeter of the window opening 903. The first tab feature 905 mayextend away from the base 902 in a second direction 920. The first tabfeature 905 may be configured to receive and securely hold a thermistor802 therein by snapping the thermistor into a securement cavity 1002formed by the first tab feature 905. The securement cavity 1002 may beconfigured based on the shape of the thermistor 802 such that thesecurement cavity 1002 partially surrounds the thermistor 802. Forexample, as illustrated in FIGS. 6-11, the securement cavity 1002 mayhave a substantially C-shaped profile based on the cylindrical profileof the thermistor 802. In other example embodiments, the securementcavity 1002 defined by the first tab feature 905 may have any otherappropriate shape to securely retain the thermistor therein such thatthe thermistor is not easily decoupled from the mounting bracket 602.Further, the securement cavity 1002 may be configured such that thethermistor 802 cannot be inserted therein and removed therefrom withoutapplying a certain amount of force or pressure, e.g., manually pushingit in or pulling it out using fingers.

Further, the first tab feature 905 may removably couple the thermistor802 to securement cavity 1002 defined by the first tab feature 905 suchthat the thermistor 802 is visible through the window opening 903 whenthe thermistor is coupled to the mounting bracket 602. Further, thefirst tab feature 905 may be configured to hold the thermistor 802 inplace against the surface of the inner storage tank 601 such that thereis a contact between the thermistor 802 and the surface of the innerstorage tank 601 when the mounting bracket 602 is coupled to the innerstorage tank 601. The thermistor 802 may be configured to measure andprovide temperature readings from the surface of the inner storage tank601 to indicate when water heating is needed for the efficientfunctioning of the water heater 500.

Further, each sidewall (904 a, 904 b) of the pair of sidewalls 904 ofthe mounting bracket 602 may include a second tab feature 906. Eachsecond tab feature 906 may include two tabs (906 a, 906 b) that protrudeout from the sidewalls (904 a, 904 b). The tabs (906 a, 906 b) of thesecond tab feature 906 may be configured to mate with complementarycoupling features of an element protective cover 605 to removably couplethe element protective cover 605 thereto. As illustrated in FIGS. 6-8,the second tab feature 906 of the mounting bracket 602 may be configuredto couple the element protective cover 605 to the inner storage tank 601of the water heater such that the element protective cover 605 isdisposed over and covers the terminals 701 (illustrated in FIG. 8) ofthe lower heating element 604 of the water heater 500. The elementprotective cover 605 may be provided for the safety of the user ortechnician.

One of ordinary skill in the art can understand and appreciate that inaddition to the components described above, the water heater 500 mayinclude many other additional components such as, dip tubes, plumbing,drain pipes, burners, etc. Said additional components may not describedherein to avoid obscuring the features of the leak detection system ofthe water heater. Further, in certain example embodiments, the secondgasket 202 of the bottom end assembly 160 may be optional. Furthermore,in certain example embodiments, the sensor guiding tube 153, the leaksensor 152, and/or the transport element 154 may be flexible.

Although example embodiments are described herein, it should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications arewell within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the example embodiments described hereinare not limited to any specifically discussed application and that theembodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Fromthe description of the example embodiments, equivalents of the elementsshown therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, andways of constructing other embodiments using the present disclosure willsuggest themselves to practitioners of the art. Therefore, the scope ofthe example embodiments is not limited herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A water heater comprising: a tank assemblycomprising: an inner storage tank; and an outer jacket disposedperipherally around the inner storage tank such that an insulationcavity is defined between the inner storage tank and the outer jacket; abottom pan disposed below the tank assembly such that the bottom panserves as a base of the water heater; and a bottom pad that is disposedbetween the tank assembly and the bottom pan, wherein the bottom padcreates a seal that prevents leaking of an insulation material from theinsulation cavity to the bottom pan, the bottom pad comprising anaperture that is configured to internally route a leak sensor assemblyof the water heater from the bottom pan, through the insulation cavity,and to a controller of the water heater.
 2. The water heater of claim 1,wherein the leak sensor assembly comprises: a wicking tube that isdisposed in the bottom pan and extends around a periphery of the bottompan; a sensor tube that is coupled to the wicking tube; and a leaksensor that is disposed in the sensor tube and extends into the wickingtube at a first end thereof, an opposite second end of the leak sensorbeing coupled to the controller.
 3. The water heater of claim 2, whereinthe sensor tube extends from the wicking tube to the insulation cavitythrough the aperture in the bottom pad.
 4. The water heater of claim 1,wherein the bottom pad comprises a recessed portion, the aperture beingformed in the recessed portion.
 5. The water heater of claim 4, furthercomprising: a first gasket that is coupled to the bottom pad; and asecond gasket that is coupled to the bottom pan and disposed below thefirst gasket.
 6. The water heater of claim 5, wherein the first gasketis configured to fit within the recessed portion of the bottom pad, andwherein the first gasket comprises another aperture that is smaller thanthe aperture in the bottom pad.
 7. The water heater of claim 6, whereinfrom the bottom pan, a sensor tube of the leak sensor assembly extendsbetween the first gasket and the second gasket, through the otheraperture, and the aperture into the insulation cavity.
 8. The waterheater of claim 6, wherein the first gasket is disposed in the recessedportion of the bottom pad such that the other aperture of the firstgasket is axially aligned with the aperture of the bottom pad.
 9. Thewater heater of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket that iscoupled to the inner storage tank and configured to securely hold androute a portion of the leak sensor assembly that is disposed in theinsulation cavity towards the controller of the water heater.
 10. Thewater heater of claim 9, wherein the mounting bracket comprises: a firsttab feature that is configured to securely hold a thermistor therein andagainst an outer surface of the inner storage tank, and a second tabfeature that is configured to mount an element protective cover theretosuch that the element protective cover is disposed over terminals of aheating element of the water heater.
 11. The water heater of claim 9,wherein the mounting bracket comprises a hook feature that protrudesfrom a sidewall of the mounting bracket, and wherein the hook feature isconfigured to securely hold and route the portion of the leak sensorassembly towards the controller.
 12. The water heater of claim 9,wherein the mounting bracket is installed adjacent to a heating elementof the water heater.
 13. A water heater comprising: a tank assemblycomprising: an inner storage tank; and an outer jacket disposedperipherally around the inner storage tank such that an insulationcavity is defined between the inner storage tank and the outer jacket; abottom end assembly that defines a base of the water heater, the bottomend assembly comprising: a bottom pan disposed below the tank assembly;a bottom pad that is disposed between the tank assembly and the bottompan, wherein the bottom pad creates a seal that prevents leaking of aninsulation material from the insulation cavity to the bottom pan andcomprises an aperture that is configured to internally route a leaksensor assembly of the water heater from the bottom pan to a controllerof the water heater through the insulation cavity of the water heater;and a mounting bracket that is coupled to the inner storage tank andconfigured to securely hold and route a portion of the leak sensorassembly that is disposed in the insulation cavity towards thecontroller of the water heater.
 14. The water heater of claim 13,wherein the leak sensor assembly comprises: a wicking tube that isdisposed in the bottom pan and extends around a periphery of the bottompan; a sensor tube that is coupled to the wicking tube; and a leaksensor that is disposed in the sensor tube and extends into the wickingtube at a first end thereof, an opposite second end of the leak sensorbeing coupled to the controller.
 15. The water heater of claim 14,wherein the sensor tube extends from the wicking tube to the insulationcavity through the aperture in the bottom pad.
 16. The water heater ofclaim 13, wherein the bottom pad comprises a recessed portion, theaperture being formed in the recessed portion.
 17. The water heater ofclaim 13: wherein the bottom end assembly further comprises: a firstgasket that is coupled to the bottom pad; and a second gasket that iscoupled to the bottom pan and disposed below the first gasket, whereinthe first gasket is configured to fit within the recessed portion of thebottom pad, and wherein the first gasket comprises another aperture thatis smaller than the aperture in the bottom pad.
 18. The water heater ofclaim 13, wherein the mounting bracket comprises: a first tab featurethat is configured to securely hold a thermistor therein and against anouter surface of the inner storage tank, and a second tab feature thatis configured to mount an element protective cover thereto such that theelement protective cover is disposed over terminals of a heating elementof the water heater.
 19. The water heater of claim 13, wherein themounting bracket comprises a hook feature that protrudes from a sidewallof the mounting bracket, and wherein the hook feature is configured tosecurely hold and route the portion of the leak sensor assembly towardsthe controller.
 20. The water heater of claim 13, wherein the mountingbracket is installed adjacent to a heating element of the water heater.